CORRESPONDENCE. 
• 73 
but cleaned and disinfected the stalls and pens, cut down their feed 
and gave acidulated drinks in the mild cases, the worst cases were kept 
on tonics and their sores dressed with carbolic acid in solution. As 
this disease is somewhat rare the rather poor description I have given 
of it, may possibly interest some of your readers. 
W. Bryden. 
CEREBRO-SPINAL-MENINGITIS. 
New York, April 19, 1877. 
Messrs. Editors :— 
Professor Large in his article on Cerebro-Spinal-Meningitis pub¬ 
lished in the last number of the American Veterinary Review , misuses, 
perhaps inadvertently, the terms “Endemic” and “Epidemic.” Re¬ 
verting to their origin we find the term “Epidemic” derived from the 
Greek “ demos,” meaning the people , and “ epi ” from the same source, 
signifying “upon” ; hence an “ Epidemic ” can only be a disease affect¬ 
ing humanity . , 
The term “Endemic” is similar in its origin, the prefix limiting 
the disease to a prescribed locality, and cannot be applied to other 
than diseases affecting the peopjle. 
But, on the other hand, there are two terms of like meaning, appli¬ 
cable to diseases affecting the brute creation, and these are “Epizootic” 
for such diseases as spread over a large extent of territory, and 
“Enzootic” for those confined to a certain locality. 
These terms are of Greek origin, “ Zoon ” meaning an animal. 
Now, as regards the prophylactic virtues of Belladonna in “ Cerebro- 
Spinal-Meningitis,” although it may be a prophylactic, still I do not 
think the facts of the recent outbreak in Brooklyn will support this 
view of its desirable influence. I find by a reference to the article in 
question that over sixty per cent, of the animals in the stable were 
attacked. 
Certainly this is as heavy a percentage as is often seen under any 
circumstances, yet we are told that until the ventilation was effective, 
from ten to fifteen new cases occurred every day, in spite of the 
administration of Belladonna, and that three or four new cases occurred 
even after the removal of the less than forty per cent of unattacked 
animals to quarters more or less remote from the immediate locality of 
